Nehemiah 5

1 About that time there was a great outcry from the people and their wives against their fellow Jews.

And there arose a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews.

2 Some were saying, “We and our sons and daughters are numerous. We must get grain in order to eat and stay alive.”

And there were some that said, Our sons, and our daughters, [and] ourselves are many; and we must buy corn, that we may eat, and live.

3 Others were saying, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our homes to get grain during the famine.”

And others there were that said, We must pledge our fields, our vineyards, and our houses, that we may buy corn, in the famine.

4 Still others were saying, “We have borrowed money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards.

And others there were that said, We have borrowed money for the king's tax on our fields and vineyards.

5 We and our children are just like our countrymen and their children, yet we are subjecting our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters are already enslaved, but we are powerless to redeem them because our fields and vineyards belong to others.”

Yet now our flesh is like the flesh of our brethren, our children are like their children: and, lo, we must force our sons and our daughters to become servants, and some of our daughters are forced [to become so], and our hand is powerless; and our fields and our vineyards belong to others.

6 When I heard their outcry and these complaints, I became extremely angry,

And it displeased me greatly when I heard their complaint and these words.

7 and after serious thought I rebuked the nobles and officials, saying, “You are exacting usury from your own brothers!” So I called a large assembly against them

Then did I consult with my heart, and I upbraided the nobles, and the rulers, and said unto them, “Ye exact usury, every one of his brother!” And I brought together a great assembly against them.

8 and said, “We have done our best to buy back our Jewish brothers who were sold to foreigners, but now you are selling your own brothers, that they may be sold back to us!” But they remained silent, for they could find nothing to say.

And I said unto them, We have indeed ransomed our brethren the Jews, who had been sold unto the various nations, as far as our means went: and will ye yourselves even sell your brethren, so that they will be sold again unto us? And they remained silent, and found no answer.

9 So I continued, “What you are doing is not right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our foreign enemies?

Then said I, The thing is not good which ye are doing: ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God, because of the taunting of the nations, our enemies?

10 I, as well as my brothers and my servants, have been lending the people money and grain. Please, let us stop this usury.

And also I, my brothers, and my young men, have lent them money and corn: I pray you, let us relinquish this loan.

11 Please restore to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and houses, along with the percentage of the money, grain, new wine, and oil that you have been assessing them.”

Give back to them, I pray you, even this day, their fields, their vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money, and of the corn, the wine, and the oil, that ye have lent them.

12 “We will restore it,” they replied, “and will require nothing more from them. We will do as you say.” So I summoned the priests and required of the nobles and officials an oath that they would do what they had promised.

Then said they, We will give [all] back, and of them will we require nothing: so will we do as thou sayest. Then I called the priests, and made them swear, that they would do in accordance with this promise.

13 I also shook out the folds of my robe and said, “May God likewise shake out of His house and possession every man who does not keep this promise. May such a man be shaken out and have nothing!” The whole assembly said, “Amen,” and they praised the LORD. And the people did as they had promised.

Also my lap did I shake out, and said, So may God shake out every man that performeth not this promise, from his house and of his toil-gotten wealth, and so let him remain shaken out, and empty. And all the assembly said, Amen, and they praised the Lord. And the people did according to this promise.

14 Furthermore, from the day King Artaxerxes appointed me to be their governor in the land of Judah, from his twentieth year until his thirty-second year (twelve years total), neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor.

Moreover from the day that [the king] had enjoined on me to be governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year up to the two and thirtieth year of king Artaxerxes, [full] twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the food of the governor.

15 The governors before me had heavily burdened the people, taking from them bread and wine plus forty shekels of silver. Their servants also oppressed the people, but I did not do this because of my fear of God.

But the former governors that had been before me had made it heavy for the people, and had taken of them bread and wine, beside forty shekels of silver: yea, even their young men ruled over the people; but I myself did not act so, because of the fear of God.

16 Instead, I devoted myself to the construction of the wall, and all my servants were gathered there for the work; we did not acquire any land.

And in the work of this wall also did I labor actively; and we bought not any fields; and all my young men were assembled there by the work.

17 There were 150 Jews and officials at my table, besides the guests from the surrounding nations.

Moreover of the Jews and rulers, one hundred and fifty men, besides those that came unto us from the nations that are about us, [ate] at my table.

18 Each day one ox, six choice sheep, and some fowl were prepared for me, and once every ten days an abundance of all kinds of wine was provided. But I did not demand the food allotted to the governor, because the burden on the people was so heavy.

And that which was prepared for one day was one ox and six choice sheep; also birds were prepared for me, and once in ten days all sorts of wine in abundance: yet with all this I required not the food of the governor; because the service lay heavily upon this people.

19 Remember me favorably, O my God, for all that I have done for this people.

Remember for me, my God, for good, all that I have done for this people.